Welcome to Early Learning. The children learn
about their world, while playing, through planned play opportunities and
experiences with real and concrete materials. The classroom
environment is the “textbook” from which they learn.

The Early Learning program uses the Creative Curriculum approach to
facilitate children’s learning. Creative Curriculum, based on 75 years
of Early Childhood research, parallels Illinois State Standards and
expands the Districts academic curriculum to include the three to five
year olds. By working to support a child’s growth and development
through their interests, strengths; they are developing the necessary
pre-readiness skills needed in kindergarten and future school years.

Achieving a sense of self: knowing oneself and relating to other people-both children and adults.

Taking responsibilities for self and others: following rules and routines, respecting others, and taking initiative.

Behaving in a pro-social way: showing empathy and getting along in the world; by sharing and taking turns.

Physical development has two goals:

Developing
large motor control by using the body’s large muscles for running,
jumping, hopping, galloping, skipping and keeping their balance.

Developing
fine motor control by using the body’s small muscles in the hands to
increase hand flexibility and strength to prepare to use writing tools,
cut with scissors and to manipulate objects.

Cognitive development has three goals:

Learning and problem solving: helping children to be thoughtful about how they use information, resources, and materials.

Logical
thinking (developing math skills): helping children to make sense of
information by comparing, contrasting, sorting, classifying, counting,
measuring, and recognizing patterns to gain a deeper understanding of
concepts.

Representation and symbolic thinking (developing
literacy skills): the use of symbols can be objects, people, or
representations through drawings.

Language development has two goals:

Listening
and speaking: the children develop ways to express themselves by
increasing their vocabulary, practice listening and responding
appropriately when participating in a conversation, and developing their
language to solve problems.

Reading and writing: helping
children make sense of written language as they enjoy and value reading.
They increase their skill of handling books and knowing about books.
They develop an understanding that pictures, words and symbols have a
message, which can be represented by their own drawings with their own
words written down. They develop knowledge of the alphabet and writing
letters through meaningful daily activities and within their play.